what is keeping someone

idiom

—used to ask why someone is late
What's keeping them? They should have been here 30 minutes ago.

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what-if
what is keeping someone
what is (someone) doing with (something)
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Cite this Entry

“What is keeping someone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/what%20is%20keeping%20someone. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.

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